Microsoft to Charge Xbox One Users to Say the Word ‘Xbox’ [MPR Weekly News Summary]http://mostlypublicradio.org/news_summary_7-8-13/
2013-07-08T03:08:32ZThis Week: A group of veterans complain that this year’s Macy’s Fireworks Spectacular skewed too much toward younger viewers. Plus, details on Microsoft’s controversial new plan to charge Xbox One users 99 cents each time they say the word ‘Xbox,’ and a robot discovers his identity after failing a CAPTCHA.
]]>Podcast #104 – (Most) Things Considered [Week of 7/1/13]http://mostlypublicradio.org/podcast-104-most-things-considered-week-of-7113/
2013-07-01T06:55:29ZThe cornerstone of the (Mostly) Public Radio brand, journalistic storytelling at its finest, exploring breaking news and critical cultural moments with award-winning reporters who go directly to the source. (Most) Things Considered travels the nation and the world to bring to life stories about war, love, science, art, culture, and much more.

This Week’s Breaking Stories:

Things did not go as planned as celebrity chef Paula Deen spoke what was supposed to be an apology to African Americans at the 2013 BET Awards.

We take you on the voyage that countless of persecuted American Christians are forced to take from northern states to southern states that embrace Christian values.

The “Minute Men’s Pride Patrol” starts an unusual protest on the steps of the U.S. Supreme court during the Defense of Marriage Act deliberations.

]]>Obama: ‘White House Down Not an Accurate Portrayal of the Presidency’ [MPR News Summary]http://mostlypublicradio.org/obama-white-house-down-not-an-accurate-portrayal-of-the-presidency-mpr-news-summary/
2013-06-24T04:19:36ZThis Week: President Barack Obama gets frustrated with the White House Press Corps, who insists on continuous comparisons between his performance and Jamie Foxx’s in the soon-to-be-released action thriller White House Down. Plus, Apple opens its first Afghani Apple Store operated by the Taliban, and entertainer Tyler Perry will operate the boom mic in his upcoming film Tyler Perry Presents: Boom Operator – A Love Story Written and Directed by Tyler Perry, Starring Tyler Perry, Boom Mic Operator Tyler Perry: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. Those stories and more on this week’s news summary.
]]>Angelina Jolie Donates Breasts to Disadvantaged Ethiopian Girlhttp://mostlypublicradio.org/angelina-jolie-donates-breasts-to-disadvantaged-ethiopian-girl/
2013-06-21T03:11:45ZTraveling through Ethiopia, it’s not the sweltering heat that gets to you. It’s not the ongoing sectarian violence that has become a way of life here, nor the plague of hunger that seems to reach into every corner of the poverty-stricken African country. Rather, it’s the children. They’re everywhere, and the emptiness of their forlorn glances rivals only that of their malnourished bellies.

I exit my car and a group of interested children immediately circle around me. I can’t help but to consider the oddity that I must appear to be. My khaki shorts and vest must be as perplexing to them as my straight hair and sun-reddened skin. One of them takes an immediate interest in my smartphone.

“I wish for you to take my photograph and make me into a tweet, so that the American Tweeting bird may bring us food and clean water,” one of the children beckons. For children in the small town of Kobo, half a world away from America, they were surprisingly in tune with American culture.

“Do you bring news of the American Gossip Girl? Does Serena ever form a lasting relationship with Dan?” another one asks. Most of the children here have never actually seen a television. But it has become a common practice for local storytellers to pass on stories from popular American television shows.

I approached the tiny improvised structure which was the home of Hiwot Dawit, a 16 year old girl who was the fortunate recipient of Angelina Jolie’s breasts. There, I am greeted at the entrance by the pair of breasts which I last saw being caressed by Antonio Banderas’ embrace in the steamy 2001 romantic thriller Original Sin.

“When I first learned that I would recieve the breasts of Angelina Jolie I shouted for joy,” she tells me. Hiwot says that she had been taunted at school by boys due to her chest size.

“They would say things like ‘Hiwot your chest is so flat that the walls are getting jealous,’ or ‘Hiwot you must have contracted malaria because we can see the mosquito bites on your chest.’ But after the breast transplant that all changed.”

The large, supple, pale breasts seem a bit out of place on the wiry, dark-skinned girl. But she says that the only remarks she hears now are positive. “Now the boys say things like, ‘Hiwot we have no food or medicine, and we will most likely die as child soldiers, but it is a pleasure to gaze upon your glorious breasts.'”

The attention she’s getting now from the entire town is not sexual. Rather the people here seem to genuinely respect her now. In fact, last week Hiwot was voted most likely to reach the age of 30 by her schoolmates.

A local village elder stops by, bringing with him a goat for Hiwot, a common sign of respect in the village. “The fact remains that these breasts are the closest that most of us will ever get to Hollywood,” he says. “These breasts have been anointed by such fine American actors as Nicholas Cage, uh Brad Pitt, Billy Bob Thornton… just to name a few. They are a true treasure.”

But not everyone is quite so appreciative. Biruk Eyob, a local witch doctor who has taken to calling them “cancer breasts.”

“Angela Jolie got rid of the cancer breasts because they had a high chance of giving her terminal cancer. Why would we want them in our village? These breasts are dangerous, and should be sent back immediately,” he says.

But Hiwot says that she is well aware of the risks, and still has chosen to have them. “To put it simply, I would rather live for a single day with the breasts of a wealthy American actress than to live for even a year as a hungry Ethopian girl,” she tells me.

As I began the long journey back I couldn’t help but to wonder: is this our own doing? As a country, America, and even the world, spends billions of dollars to provide disadvantaged children like Hiwot with the little food and medicine that some of them do receive. But maybe all of that is offset by our cultural exports. The exports that say that the only persons of value are beautiful Hollywood celebrities. The children I met in Ethopia seemed to all hope that America would save them. Save them from the violence that they know all too well, the poverty, and the hunger. But, who will in turn save them from America?

]]>U.S. Postal Service Employee’s ‘Bombshell’ Leak Is a Dudhttp://mostlypublicradio.org/us-postal-service-employees-bombshell-leak-is-a-dud/
2013-06-19T05:47:38ZThe U.S. Government is undoubtedly pleased today as a self-declared “bombshell” leak promised by U.S. Postal Service employee Dwayne Johnson turned out to be little more than a litany of complaints against a co-worker. “First there was Manning, then Assange, then Snowden,” the beleaguered mail carrier trumpeted Monday in the Swiss capital of Bern, shortly before an international press conference at which he promised to leak classified U.S. Government information.

While it isn’t clear whether Johnson has a future at the U.S. Post Office, it is almost certain that Elsinger Gohl, the Swiss ambassador to the United States will step down. Gohl was the most compelling voice behind the Swiss government’s decision to grant Johnson asylum prior to announcing the “leaks.”

“We thought he was the next Manning… He thought he was the next Manning… But he was just an idiot from the post office,” Gohl said to MPR’s Robert Pinderhughes during live coverage of the event on Monday’s edition of (Most) Things Considered.

Johnson’s so-called leaks, detailed on a microfiche disseminated to reporters, contains only a list of complaints lodged against another Postal Service employee named LaTonya. Johnson alleges that LaTonya gambled on Postal Service property (supported by Johnson’s claim that she once uttered, “That man’s booty is so fine I will bet you he’s gay”), drank on the job (“Alize Gold Passion Premium Malt Beverage,” as Johnson describes it), and made violent threats (supposedly telling Johnson that if he continued to speak to her she would “beat [Johnson] like he stole something”).

While LaTonya’s last name is being withheld from the press until an official U.S. Postal Service inquiry is made, the allegations seem doubtful at best considering Johnson’s stunt. At the end of the day, this may in fact simply be the work of “an idiot from the post office.”

]]>Podcast #103 – (Most) Things Considered [Week of 6/17/13]http://mostlypublicradio.org/podcast-103-most-things-considered-week-of-61713/
2013-06-17T10:31:59ZThe cornerstone of the (Mostly) Public Radio brand, journalistic storytelling at its finest, exploring breaking news and critical cultural moments with award-winning reporters who go directly to the source. (Most) Things Considered travels the nation and the world to bring to life stories about war, love, science, art, culture, and much more.

This Week’s Breaking Stories:

Nelson Mandela Did Not Die Over the Weekend – News Comes as Relief to Supporters Gathered at Hospital, but to the Chagrin of Assembled Story-Hungry Media

Pope Rescinds Declaration of Redemption for Non-Catholics – “Catholics Will be the Only Ones Eligible for Redemption, Starting Now…”

Tiger Woods Still Plays Golf, Despite Rumors to the Contrary

Angelina Jolie Donates Breasts to Disadvantaged Ethiopian Girl

Former Politico Starts “Gay-B-A” Basketball League

]]>Congressional Republicans: ‘Obama Farted!’ [MPR Weekly News Summary]http://mostlypublicradio.org/congressional-republicans-obama-farted-mpr-weekly-news-summary/
2013-06-10T04:15:12ZThis Week: In the wake of the NSA spying revelations, the Obama Administration releases tapes of phone calls which show that the agency was actually counseling and advising citizens rather than spying. Plus, Dr. Maya Angelou attempts a world record for longest graduation speech at Spelman College, and Sen. John McCain and congressional Republicans allege that President Obama farted.
]]>LAPD: M. Night Shyamalan ‘Person of Interest’ in Brutal Slaying of Will & Jayden Smith’s Careershttp://mostlypublicradio.org/lapd-m-night-shyamalan-person-of-interest-in-brutal-slaying-of-will-jayden-smiths-careers/
2013-06-05T05:07:56ZThe careers of actors Will and Jaden Smith were found dead today after an apparent double murder following the premiere of the film After Earth.

“This is nothing less than a tragedy. With the exception of Wild Wild West, Will Smith’s career has been phenomenal for over 20 years. And Jaden… his career was so young, who knows what it would’ve accomplished,” says the publicist for the Smith family.

Police have named director M. Knight Shymalan as a person of interest in their ongoing investigation. “We aren’t quite ready to name him a suspect. But this is the same guy who brutally murdered The Last Airbender, so right now we’re feeling pretty optimistic about getting the case solved quickly,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department told MPR’s (Most) Things Considered on Monday.

M. Knight Shymalan denied any involvement earlier Monday in a brief interview with MPR’s Nonso Christian Ugbode. “I’m just going to come out and say it. I am a murderer,” the filmmaker said before cutting off Ugbode’s follow up. “A murderer of lies. See, you didn’t wait for the twist. That’s why I’m telling the truth today, which is that I had nothing to do with the murders. Will Smith’s career was dead when he made Hitch, and Jayden’s career was just a parasite that had attached itself to Will’s.”

Shyamalan was acquitted for both the murders of The Last Airbender as well as the movie with Marky Mark and the trees, but only on technicalities. Many have said that without expensive lawyers from The Cochran Firm, Shyamalan would likely have been convicted easily and gone to prison.

“Oh, I fully intend to go to prison,” Shyamalan said, again cutting off Ugbode’s immediate follow up. “Wait for it… twist! The prison that is being such a talented writer, director, and actor. It is like prison for me to be the only one able to comprehend the brilliance of my craft. I am saddened by what happened today, but had no part in it.”

A private memorial service was held earlier today for Will and Jayden’s careers. The service was attended by family and friends, including Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, and the second Aunt Viv. Smith’s long time rap partner D.J. Jazzy Jeff also was in attendance, but was promptly ejected by James Avery.

]]>Warwick to Replace Carney as White House Press Secretaryhttp://mostlypublicradio.org/warwick-to-replace-carney-as-white-house-press-secretary/
2013-06-05T04:56:46ZPresident Obama announced today that musician and Celebrity Apprentice star Dionne Warwick will replace Jay Carney as White House Press Secretary. The move is largely seen as the result of Carney’s less-than-stellar performance after being grilled by the media on Benghazi and the IRS. But critics are calling the move a diversion.

“Ms. Warwick is certainly a legend. No one here is disputing that. But you really have to question whether or not she is qualified for the office that she’s been appointed to,” says media analyst Neil Jacobs. Warwick held her first White House press briefing shortly after the announcement, much to the chagrin of many notable reporters.

Warwick’s first verbal spat came when USA Today’s Bert Hoynes questioned Warwick’s characterization of what she referred to as “negativity” from the press pool. “First of all, let me say that you’re a legend,” Hoynes said. “I respect that. But do you really feel that the press isn’t treating you fairly?”

“Did I say that?” a snappy Warwick retorted. When Hoynes answered in the affirmative, Warwick snapped back, “Well I’m sorry you interpreted it that way,” before promptly moving on to another question from the press pool.

Later on, Warwick engaged Fox News’ Shep Smith in a similar manner. When Smith inquired as to whether Warwick’s appointment was a response to what Smith referred to as “the Benghazi scandal,” Warwick quickly called Smith a coward for not telling the truth, then shot back, “The President is a beautiful man. Once you start reporting that we can move forward.”

Sources close to Warwick say that this is not out of character for the legendary artist. Her Celebrity Apprentice co-star LaToya Jackson said in an interview with MPR’s Nonso Christian Ugbode, “Dionne has… well, a way of criticizing you and detracting from the actual issue being discussed, through insinuation alone. You can have the sweetest conversation with her, then walk away and feel… well just awful about yourself. She really has a way of undermining any negative thing said about her and firing it right back at everyone in the room. Yes, I think that makes her the perfect White House press secretary.”

Warwick has indicated that she fully intends to serve out the remainder of President Obama’s term in her new post, however hasn’t closed the door on simultaneously appearing on a future season of Celebrity Apprentice.

]]>Vin Diesel Promises Chase Scene on Space Highway for Fast 7http://mostlypublicradio.org/vin-diesel-promises-chase-scene-on-space-highway-for-fast-7/
2013-06-04T04:47:05ZAs the cramped US Airways flight lands at LAX, I am at the tail end of a journey that started in the dark cells of Guantanamo Bay and would soon take me to the most unlikely following destination: the penthouse suites of the Roosevelt Hotel, where I have been invited to an exclusive press junket for Fast and Furious, Part Seven. I throw on my sunshades as I adjust to the sunlight and the overwhelming glitz that is LA.

“Are you on the list?” asks a shrill anorexic-looking young lady at the Roosevelt Hotel. She stands in front of a gold-plated elevator flanked by security, guarding the only apparent entrance to the penthouse floor. I am only allowed into the elevator after providing three separate forms of ID, including my passport, which traveling journalists like myself must always have. The last time I went through such rigorous checking was on my way into the so-called “green zone” while embedded in Baghdad during the Iraq War.

On the penthouse floor a flurry of paparazzi accost me with clicking camera shutters but soon disperse, disappointed when they realize I am not Vin Diesel or one of the Fast and Furious stars. The entire penthouse floor has been taken over by an explosion of the franchise. The crowd stretches out far as I can see, and I drift among agents and Hollywood hangers-on, amid a sea of young, bright-eyed, so-called entertainment reporters setting up excitedly in ornate rooms with large crews.

The major networks get their own rooms, and buffet tables, but all the radio journalists are assigned to one room, which seems to have been a broom closet at one point. Cars from the film have been mounted on spinning pedestals all around the penthouse floor, giving one the impression of a car expo or NASCAR exhibition. Everything shines including the celebrities and their handlers, clinking champagne and sometimes bottles of sparkling water, as they walk from room to room repeating enthusiastic sound-bytes with strained expressions. I get some time with rapper-turned-actor Christopher Bridges who corrects my identification so I am clear he is Ludacris as well.

“Hey, if I do a song for a movie they can call me Ludacris, but when I’m acting in the film, they can call me Chris Bridges.” He then insists I call him Chris Bridges again, revealing his own confusion at identity, trapped between Ludacris and Christopher Bridges. “Sure, I’d love it if I won an award and they say, ‘…and the Oscar goes to Ludacris.’ ‘Cause think about it, if they say ‘…and the Oscar goes to Chris Bridges,’ everyone’s is gonna be like, ‘who Chris Bridges?…Luda!’”

He continues in this jabbering confused manner for almost twenty minutes, enough time for my mobile phone to receive five separate alerts from the AP News wire – updates on the dire situation in Syria. Pushing on to the Fast and Furious main star Vin Diesel I am struck by how much he needs me to understand that he is more than a talking head.

“I think people forget I’m a director too, so I see all this stuff with a different eye.” And while he refuses to take credit as an auteur in the franchise, he does elaborate a moment of pride in the most recent Fast film. “I’m just saying, when my car crashes through the nose of a burning airplane, that was my idea.” He predictably dodges a question about the franchise making a statement on the global fuel crisis, but goes on to elaborate on an exciting anticipated chase sequence in the next part of the series.“I’m really excited about the chase scenes in the next part. Yeah, it’s going be different. We’re building a super highway that’s gonna connect in space, in like, the stratosphere.”

And what celebrity interview in Los Angeles is complete without the heavy dropping of names? “For Fast Seven my Ferrari’s gonna jump out the nose of a space shuttle and land on the space highway, and then Paul Walker’s gonna catch me with his teeth, and I’m gonna catch Michelle Rodriguez with my arms as we free fall back to earth, then Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s gonna be waiting for us with a Mac truck and we’re all gonna be chased by Jason Statham. It’s gonna be deep.”

I thank Vin Diesel for his time and begin my speedy exit from this velvet-draped war zone, but not before Mr. Diesel assures me of his intentions in the franchise. “It’s not about the money for me. I have over 42 million Facebook fans, I have a responsibility to them, everyday.” Soon I am making my way toward the elevators when the anorexic-looking young lady with the clipboard catches up to me, breathless.

“Are those Vin Diesel’s sunglasses?” She points to a pair of ESS Crossbow Ballistic sunshades hanging from my safari vest, given to me by a Marine Sergeant in Afghanistan six weeks before he was fatally shot. “No,” I reply, “these are not Vin Diesel’s sunglasses.” She shrugs and ignores me as she snaps her fingers for interns who appear as if from thin air. She hands them a platinum credit card and gives specific instructions on purchasing Aviator Ray Ban sunglasses for Vin Diesel and the interns speed off with serious purpose.

As I continue to my reserved room at the Palomar Kimpton, I contrast the ostentatious showing of movie stars and glamour to the hungry distended bellies of children I am sure to see tomorrow morning when I return to Cuba for my next story. The world will be fixated on Fast and Furious, it seems, for longer than they will ever remember the starving children of any long-running global crisis.